Travelling with Stabilo #20: Rothenburg ob der Tauber: a medieval journey
经纬游踪 #20: 罗滕堡中世纪之旅
A while back I was travelling to Nuremberg, Germany for my friend’s wedding. On the day before the wedding, he wanted a break and we decided to visit a nearby town Rothenburg, a town in Franconia that is famous for its well preserved medieval buildings. While the town can be easily reached by train from Nuremburg, everything of course is easier when someone is driving, although my friend did miss a highway exit and we had to backtrack ourselves for a bit. Nevertheless, we reached Rothenburg by mid-morning and ready to explore.
几年前我到德国的纽伦堡参加好朋友的婚礼。在婚礼前一天他提议去附近玩一下。他带我去了离纽伦堡一个多小时车程的罗滕堡, 一个以历史悠久的中世纪建筑为名的小镇。 罗滕堡交通方便，从纽伦堡坐火车就可以到达。当然，开车肯定是更方便的。需然我们上高速时错过了出口而要往回走一段路，我们还是十点多就到了。
罗滕堡的原名，Rothenburg ob der Tauber, 在德文的原意是在陶伯河上方的红堡垒。去过德国的朋友肯定会发现很多德国城市的名字都是这样，以分辨出不同地方的同名城市。古城的停车场就在古城的中世纪城墙外。而城墙边就有一条通往城墙上的楼梯。这是我们古城之旅的第一站。罗滕堡的古城墙建于十五世纪，是罗滕堡 这个帝国自由城镇（就是东罗马帝国的直辖市）的边界和她的第一道防御。沿着石墙每隔几米就有一个向着城外四方形的孔洞，为以前弓箭手发箭抗敌所用，在战争时发挥重要的作用。墙上向着城那边为木制的篱笆，从这里可以看见古城里那些传统德国木屋和它们的红色瓦顶。
Rothenburg's full name is Rothenburg ob
der Tauber, which means, quite literally, Red fortress above the Tauber river. You will find that in Germany there are a lot of towns that was named like that, as somehow many towns are of the same name, and they needed to add the extra bits to distinguish between them. The car park for the old town is located just outside the medieval town wall. There was a staircase by the gate that leads to the top of the wall, and so we went up. This medieval town wall was built in the 15th century, and acted as the boundary and first line of defence for the Rothenburg imperial free town (which essentially meant it was a self-governed town who's only allegiance is the Holy Roman Empire. Along the wall you can see archer holes dotted along the outside of the wall. You could easily imagine how armies in the medieval times point their arrows to their enemies through these holes to defend their city. On the side facing the towards the town you can see clearly a large part of the town, the many medieval Germanic houses and red tiled roofs.
我们只走了城墙的一小段，就下来往古城中心出发，沿途踏着鹅卵石小路，经过了无数历史悠久而又现代化的民居，店铺和咖啡馆。当路上没有车时，就仿佛像时空穿梭回到了中世纪的欧洲一样。很多民房的阳台都种了鲜艳夺目的花丛，让整个小镇散发着夏日的芬芳。古老的商店外都挂着传统的铁制招牌，印证着它们被时间的洗礼。
We only walked for a small stretch of the wall before coming back down and continuing towards the old town centre. We walked along the many cobbled lanes in the town, passing by homes, shops and cafes that are historical on the outside and nicely modern on the inside. It’s a pity that Rothenburg is not a car-free town, otherwise it could easily be mistaken that we time-travelled back to the 13th century. A lot of balconies were decorated with blossoming flowers, giving the whole town a nice sweet summer scent. There are old style iron signs hanging by many of the shops and cafes, as a proof that they have stood the test of times.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
我们走走停停的就到了城中心的广场。和其他古镇一样，罗滕堡的城镇广场是中世纪时城中最繁忙的地方，也是城中最重要的行政建筑，市政厅的所在地。现在，城镇广场成为了游客的集中地，因为在这里可以看见城里最传统的建筑设计，例如那些设计得像阶梯的房顶，四方的窗户，和粉刷在外墙上的壁画。我们在广场上还看见了在吹阿尔卑斯长号的乐队。这传统乐器只有在瑞士和巴伐利亚才能看到，十分特别。我们本来想上市政厅上的钟楼，可是正好是午休时间，只好先去逛别的。
We eventually arrived at the town square in the middle of the old town. As with most towns back in the medieval days, the town square is always the busiest place in town, and where the most important buildings, the town hall and the bell tower, are located. Nowadays, the town square became a gathering place for tourists and visitors, showcasing the town’s architectures. From the square we could freely admire the staircase like roofs of the houses around as well as the perfectly square windows. When we were there, there were three musicians playing the alpenhorn, a type of traditional horn instruments that is common in Bavaria and Switzerland. It was pretty cool to watch. We wanted to go up the bell tower, but it was closed for lunch, so we continued on.
我们往小镇西面走，出了城门后到了一个漂亮的大庭院。在庭院的瞭望台可以从另一个角度欣赏这小镇和底下山谷的风光。炎炎夏日，绿草茵茵，这庭院到处都是绿油油的草丛和艳丽的鲜花。从庭院的平台可以远远看见小镇上的建筑，在烈日底下变得有点模糊。在山谷下也可以看见几栋特别的房子。在庭院中心的房子旁有个被藤蔓遮掩的阴凉处，可以坐在藤架下的长椅上一边休息一边欣赏旁边的小花园和雕像，十分惬意。
We exited out from the town from the west tower gate and arrived at this little garden courtyard that offers view back into town as well as the valley beyond. As it is in the middle of summer, the courtyard was lush and green, full of beautiful stubs and flowers. We can view the town from a distance, slightly hazed by the bright sunlight. There were also some cool looking houses down in the valley below. In the middle of the courtyard there was a house with a vine sheltered terrace and a statue garden beside it. It reminds me of a castle that I visited more than 10 years ago, also in Germany. A very elegant place for a picnic or just a rest.
Heading back through the gate we backtracked ourselves towards the town square. On the way we enjoyed more of this bustling little European town. There were flowers and green bushes shrubs everywhere, and there were shops selling all kinds of local produce such as wine and olive oil. There was even an old painter on the side of a lane, capturing the beauty of this town on canvas. We went to a little bakery and bought a sandwich for a quick lunch, before heading back to the town square.
从西城门往回走，我们放慢了脚步，细细感受这欧洲小镇的气息。小镇里到处是鲜花和小树林，小路上的商店贩卖着红酒，橄榄油等特产。年迈的老画家在路边架起画布，用他的笔把这小镇的美记录在油画上。我们在一个小面包店买了点三文治，包餐一顿后往城镇广场进发。
.JPG)
.JPG)
回到市政厅，钟楼午休已过。我们花了只欧元爬了上楼。在钟楼上浏览整个古城，红顶木房像积木一样密密麻麻的在我们脚下。在这我们清楚看见围绕着小镇的城场，和城场外的现代建筑。再过去就是一片片农场和绿油油的山丘，一直伸延到远处的山脉。也可以看到小镇上有四个岗楼，这些岗楼是在中世纪时作用重大的防御设施。
By the time we got back to the town square, the bell tower was now open. We went up for a better view of the whole town. It was pretty dramatic to see all these red roofed houses, irregularly placed like Lego blocks directly below us. We could make out the town wall easily and could see all the modern buildings beyond that is a part of the new town centre. Beyond that it was just plains, farms, and rolling hills, stretching towards the distance mountain range in the horizon. Four watchtowers can be seen scattered around the old town, again one of those things that were essential for defence back in the days.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
回到地面，我们往唯一没有走过的广场的南面出口前进，在小镇的南边找到了这小镇最漂亮的景点: 一个分叉路口上的像童话故事中的小黄屋，和后面底下有个拱门的大钟楼。这景观在罗滕堡的明信片中经常出现，也有很多游客在这里自拍他们的到此一游照。我们只好等游客散去了才好好的拍几张明信片照。
Back down onto the ground, I was adamant on walking around some more, wanting to search for the postcard view of the town, a crossroad marked by a typical timber based medieval house with crosshatch patterns, in front of a clock tower with an arc at the bottom. The only path that we have not explored is the south of the square, so we decided to follow this path. Of course, we were right, and in no time, we were treated with the postcard view of Rothenburg. It does look quite magnificent, nicely capturing the small town charm in one single scene. There were many tourists around posing in front of this crossroad for a “been there done that” shot, and so we had to wait for the crowd to pass before we can get some good shots of the place.
好不容易拍完照，看看表，原来已经三点多！我们四点钟还要回去准备婚礼呢！我们半跑着回到停车场，开车赶回纽伦堡。幸好交通不是太拥挤，最后快五点才回到家，朋友的末婚妻也没说什么。虽然是很赶的一天，可是可以跟老朋友游玩拍照大半天还是很值得的！
By now, it was mid-afternoon, and we were supposed to be back to Nuremberg by late afternoon for wedding preparation. We rushed back to the car park and sped through the highway to get back, and it was lucky that there wasn’t any significant traffic. It was also lucky that his wife-to-be didn't seem too concern when we got back just before 5pm. It was nice to be able to take half a day to explore this pretty little medieval town. Especially with a trusted friend!
Great travel photos!
colorful country and even more colorful photography, big thumbs up and a resteem from my side for hard work and dedication
Thanks for the resteem! Really appreciate it!
Tipuvote! 0.1
Thank you!
Hi @stabilowl! You have received 0.25 SBD @tipU upvote
from @cardboard !
@tipU!- upvotes with with 2.5 x profit + daily payouts to investors :)interesting view
Thanks! Stay tuned for more!
Amazing photos! and interesting and not a commonplace presented!
Follow and upvote you!
Thanks for share!
If you like take a look to my visit to the Italian Tuscany
https://steemit.com/travel/@marceladiomede/my-first-visit-to-the-italian-tuscany-my-story-mygreatphotos
Thanks! Glad you liked it! That photo of Tuscany houses looks great!
好美的小镇, 特别是房顶好有特色!
谢谢亲！是很有特色！欧洲很多这样的漂亮小镇。你去过欧洲吗？
You got a 8.64% upvote from @postpromoter courtesy of @stabilowl!
Want to promote your posts too? Check out the Steem Bot Tracker website for more info. If you would like to support the development of @postpromoter and the bot tracker please vote for @yabapmatt for witness!
Congratulations, Your Post Has Been Added To The Steemit Worldmap!
Author link: http://steemitworldmap.com?author=stabilowl
Post link: http://steemitworldmap.com?post=travelling-with-stabilo-20-rothenburg-ob-set-tauber-a-medieval-journey-20
Want to have your post on the map too?
@stabilowl 前辈的英文语法很好，写得也很棒，你是主修英文的吗？
这位前辈的母语是英语 哈哈 我们应该夸他中文很好 ;) （不好意思@stabilowl 正好看到 忍不住为百忙中的你代言 :p）
你也很厉害啊 会好多语言 你母语是粤语还是普通话呀？
喔，原来如此，难怪英文的没有grammatical error lol
其实，我在家中的母语是粤语+闽南语，普通话+英文+马来文则是在学校里学习的～
那亲你本身呢？我看你在世界各地拍摄，应该也是一名语言通吧。
我除了中英文 因为在欧洲和拉美住过还学了点荷兰语 法语 德语 和西班牙语 但都很烂
哇，我就知道亲你是语言通，你口中的“烂” - 可能别人觉得好 :D
烂也比不懂的厉害多了！真是个才女！不过我猜你不会广东话吧😆
不会呢 上次还在@deanliu帖子里感慨不懂粤语台语感觉错过了一个亿 😄
哈哈，不是啦！母语是广东话啊！不过我十一岁就移民到新西兰了。最后的结果是中文不够好，英文也不够好😄
原来如此，唔怪得英文顶呱呱～
谢谢亲！我写英文还是会有语法错误啦，只能尽量多看几次再发😊
歐洲很多小房子很美，香港的全是高樓大廈
是啊，而且鎮外都是綠油油，看上去很舒服！去過歐洲嗎？
Very detailed and interesting story, thank you!
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
海量美图啊 👍 看到很多木筋房恍惚间以为你已经到Alsace了呢 :)
唉，別提了，签证办不下来，旅行取消了😩
啊 怎么会这样 真惨
Really so amazing place in the world. great photography. very good post.
Thanks!
Great post
Ob der tauber
Oh dear! Thank you so much! Stupid auto correct on my phone keep auto correcting it. It has been changed now thank you!
Nice pictures, schöne Bilder, i like the vibrant colors in your pictures and how detailed you described the trip and the wedding.
Thank you! The wedding itself was cool, My friend was given a brick full of money as a gift that he has to break apart. Do you have similar tradition in Austria?
Congratulations @stabilowl, this post is the fifth most rewarded post (based on pending payouts) in the last 12 hours written by a Superuser account holder (accounts that hold between 1 and 10 Mega Vests). The total number of posts by Superuser account holders during this period was 1599 and the total pending payments to posts in this category was $9615.18. To see the full list of highest paid posts across all accounts categories, click here.
If you do not wish to receive these messages in future, please reply stop to this comment.
Sounds like a great trip, and I can see you had a wonderful weather on that day!
I really love your photos, the colors are amazing, and so are the choices of angles. Following, you're welcome to follow back if you like!
Thanks for you comment! Stay tuned for more great photos and blog!
結婚前一天還陪你去遊玩哪？要不是國外的婚禮比東方婚禮簡單太多，要不就是你們交情太好了！
這個城市的房子實在太可愛了，好像身處童話世界啊
都有吧，他們婚禮是比我們要簡單。他也是我最好的朋友，所以我們晚了他未婚妻也理解沒有說他😄
So wonderful! It's gives me an idea of how i capture for the next time. Nice shots!
Thanks! It would be great if it has sparked your creative mind 😊
哇，我记得这个房子，上次我问“他们隔得那么近采光会不会不好”😂
刚拉着同事在一起看呢，她也说这房子好好看，色彩超美
谢谢亲！你要把同事安利过来吗？
哈哈哈，她都没迈出过杭州市大门呢😂
有安利啦，你发的很多照片我都有拉着她一同看，哈哈，我们称之为足不出户就可以游览世界～
感觉像童话世界的房子，希望有机会去玩下 ： ）
是很像童话世界！一定要去一下！
Colorful country and also you are good in taking photos! Keep posting beautiful photos :D
Thank you so much! Stay tuned for more beautiful photos!
Of course!
Great travel plans
Amazing photography, thanks for posting.
Thank you very much
@stabilowl, 好祥细的旅游日记，我还没去过Rotenburg, 期待你下一个游记。
这个写的我都想去看看了，加油
可以去一下，很漂亮！
This comment has been marked as SPAM, You have made over 50 similar comments in the last five hours.
To support @spambot upvote this post, Spambot seeks out SPAM and Upvotes the original post the SPAM was left on.